Effective menu planning is rewarding in terms of time and money, especially given how little effort it takes. Those who do it well seem to have internalized its rules(1)
Three meals a day. Seven dinners a week. From supermarket to the pantry, refrigerator to table, sink to cupboard, the kitchen routine can get old, Meal planning is an excellent way to make sure your family is eating wholesome, nutritious food(2)
Food experts to share their menu-planning strategies―from shopping savvy to using ingredients wisely. Menu planning doesn't have been complicated! Planning meals ahead require a small investment of time, but can reap great rewards, Here are 10 tips.
Make a Shopping List:
Let everyone know to add items to the list as you run out.
Make shopping easier. List foods under headings, Keep a generic list on hand that includes things you buy frequently (such as milk, eggs, and chicken breasts etc.), then add extras so you don’t have to start from scratch each week.
Make a master ingredient list:
This is not your grocery list, but it's what leads to a really good one while also helping you take inventory of what's in your kitchen. Start by going through each recipe's ingredient list to make up the master list of things you'll need for the week. Then, with keen eyes, go through your kitchen and cross off anything you already have. Now you've got a very accurate list you can turn into a grocery list.
Spend time each week looking for recipes:
This may feel like an indulgence, but just let yourself do it. Browse blogs and websites for recipes that look delicious. Hang out on Tasteologie. Pile up some cookbooks and reach for the sticky notes.
Find out what’s on hand and what’s on special:
Before you start to plan your meals, look in your refrigerator and see what ingredients you need to use up. Incorporate those items into your planned meals to avoid waste and save money.
Make list three meals and one or two snacks daily:
update the grocery list with everything you’ll need for the meals you’ve selected, plus a few side dishes, breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. The goal is to just go to the market once each week, and, over the course of the week, to use up everything you purchased.
Eat healthier:
Plan meals and snacks using healthy basics prepared with little or no added fat, sugar, or sodium. Limit the processed or prepared foods. Eat fewer packaged, ready-to-eat, and take-out foods. Eat fewer packaged, ready-to-eat and take-out foods(3)
Serve at least one serving of vegetables and/or fruit with each me
Be strategic about freezing:
The freezer is your friend. Actually, it's the friend of the future you. Make a double batch of that sauce mentioned above and freeze half for later. Make a double batch of soup, stew, chicken cacciatore, cooked beans, throw it in the freezer. Let a month go by, and those leftovers will look fresh and tasty!
Save time:
Most of us have at least some tolerance for leftovers.
Use leftovers for lunches or as part of another meal. Some people can only eat leftovers for a single night. Either way, try to make your cooking always do double duty. Make a little extra of everything, and if you don't want it right away, freeze it.
Cook things you really want to eat:
You might have to spend some extra time uncovering recipes that are right for you, but it's worth it if you still can't wait to eat them. So, we're saying the obvious on this one: Only cook things you want to eat!
You Did It! Now Do it Again!
Meal planning is not difficult, but it's not a walk in the park either especially when you're new to it. So if you showed up here seeking to make your life in the kitchen a bit calmer because of it, you're already well on your way. Every time you go through the process of meal planning you learn what not to do, the places where to improve next week, what you can skip, and how to customize the entire practice to fit your needs. Continuing to do it only makes you better.
Learn from our mistakes!
All of us here at Kitchn are at different places in our meal planning practice, which means we've got a whole bag of tricks to share including the ones learned from our gaffes. We put them all in one place, so have a look and learn from them before you begin your meal planning journey!
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